Uncle Wolf: Hard Labor
by Boondock Jake
Summary: When Fox and the rest of the team are away on another one of Peppy's goodwill tours, Krystal goes into labor early. With no one around to take her to the hospital, Fox has to rely on a former old enemy to help him out.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: I'm back! Here's another comedy fic with the StarFox gang! This is the beginning of a series of stories I have planned revolving around Wolf and his relationship with Marcus. Hope you all enjoy!_

_Characters and places belong to Nintendo._

* * *

**Uncle Wolf: Hard Labor**

"Let's go, Fox! I could've been drunk by now!" Falco called out from outside the bathroom door.

Fox merely rolled his eyes and fixed the loop in his tie. Straightening out his navy blue dinner jacket and taking a look into the mirror, the vulpine couldn't help but be impressed. He was no egotist but even he had to admit that he looked rather dashing even if he did hate getting all dressed up. The famous Fox McCloud was never very comfortable in in such expensive and designer clothes like the current ones that covered him head to toe. He was always more of a t shirt and jeans kind of guy.

"But that's the price of fame I suppose." He sighed to himself.

Giving one more look over to assess that everything was nice and tidy; Fox finally opened the door of the bathroom to find his teammates waiting for him in the hotel room.

"Bought time. Did a tampon get stuck or something?" Falco jested with his trademark smirk as he leaned his back against the wall. The brash pilot had a similar suit on as Fox but his was all black, even the undershirt. Fox frowned at him but then offered a smirk of his own. "Sorry, Falco but not all of us get up at six in the morning and spend three hours to make sure our hair is just right." He said.

"Hey, it's a lot of effort to look this good, furrball." The avian responded, running his hands through his head plumage. Fox chuckled and looked to the bed where Slippy sat at the moment, standing out in his bright yellow suit, a hand held video game occupying his plump hands.

"Are you sure you want to wear that suit, Slippy? The white one looked really good on you." Fox told him, trying not to grimace at the toad's choice of colored attire.

"Yeah I'm sure. It's my favorite color. Are you saying I don't look good in it?" Slippy asked, his eyes leaving his game and meeting Fox's green ones. "No, not at all! You look great!" Fox quickly exclaimed, not wanting to hurt his friend's feelings. Falco on the other hand was never that thoughtful.

"Yeah, it looks great if you never want to get a woman for the rest of your life." He snorted.

"You know I have a girlfriend, Falco. We've been over this." Slippy tiredly replied.

"Oh right, your imaginary one."

"You've met her!"

"I don't recall any chick hanging out with Slippy, do you, Fox?"

"Are you sure she's not made up?" Fox asked.

"Her name is Amanda! She was there for the Anglar Invasion! SHE SAVED US AT ONE POINT! YOU HAVE ALL MET HER!"

"I'm drawing a total blank here, Slip." Fox told him, his face completely written with confusion. Slippy let out a yell and fell backwards onto the bed in frustration. Fox and Falco just looked at each other and shrugged. The door to the room opened up and Peppy walked in, struggling with his bow-tie. Fox couldn't help but laugh at the old hare's own choice of attire. A bright red bow-tie with a yellow undershirt, complete with a tweeted jacket and dark brown pants.

"You look like a school librarian, Peppy." Fox snickered. Peppy narrowed his eyes at him from behind his glasses, still working with his tie.

"Keep laughing, Fox. One day you're going to end up looking like this, especially with that kid on the way." He shot back. "If that happens, kill me." Fox whispered to Falco.

"Will do." His fellow pilot said with a mock salute. Peppy, finally getting his tie just right, looked to his former teammates and let out a tired sigh.

"We aren't meant for this, huh?"

The other three merely exchanged glances and there was a silent agreement that they were not. Peppy groaned and rubbed his eyes tiredly. "I'm really sorry guys. These ongoing political meet and greets are the last thing I want any of us to do, especially for you, Fox with Krystal being pregnant and all. But those bigwigs won't shut up about it and…" Peppy rambled on but was cut off by Fox.

"Easy old timer. I know how it is. No need to explain, right guys?" He asked, turning back to the other two. Falco simply grunted, one of his many subtle ways of expressing agreement. "Fox is right, Peppy. We know what we're in for every time we save the Lylat System. Say, Peppy, you know my girlfriend Amanda right?"

Peppy stared at him for a moment then frowned, his eyes focusing back on Fox and Falco. "I told you not to get him that blow up doll." He scolded.

"AMANDA! YOU KNOW HER! SHE'S BEST FRIENDS WITH YOUR DAUGHTER!"

"Please, Slippy, no more jokes. We're going to be late." Peppy said, waving off the mechanic's outburst. Slippy just slapped his hands over his face, his entire body shaking with rage.

"Peppy's right. The sooner we get this over with the sooner we can get back to Corneria." Fox said, tugging at his cufflinks. Peppy simply nodded and headed out the door with the others in tow. Slippy mumbled something under his breath and pushed past Falco to the exit. The falcon watched him go and looked to Fox with pleading eyes.

"Make him change, Fox, it's ridiculous."

"Go, Falco." Fox sighed, pushing his friend.

"Seriously, it looks like someone pissed all over him."

"Just relax, Falco. We'll play that game where we see how long it takes for his sweat stains to start coming through." Fox told him as he shut the door behind him.

Back on Corneria, in a much more rural section of the city, the McCloud household was relatively silent on a nippy and cloudy day. There was the occasional creak and grunt of the house settling but nothing out of the ordinary. Up the stairs and through the hall that lead into the master bedroom, a certain blue vixen slept peacefully on the bed she shares with her husband. Krystal snoozed quietly, her tail occasionally twitching or flipping from side to side. Her relaxing nap however was suddenly disturbed by a loud boom of thunder. The noise caused her eyes to fly open and quickly she propped herself up on an elbow, her other hand reaching for the blaster Fox leaves under his pillow for whenever he is away. Once her eyes had scanned the room and realized what had awoken her, she let out a relived sigh and fell back into her pillow.

"_Fox was right. Those mercenary instincts never really leave you."_ She thought to herself with an amused grin. Yawning, she rolled out of bed and stretched her arms above her head. She lowered them down to her stomach which, in the last nine months, had grown quite large. Krystal stroked it lovingly, whispering sweet comforts to the precious treasure inside. With another sigh, this one of happiness and tenderness, she went to her dresser and pulled a shirt over top of her, the end of her belly poking out from underneath and an old pair of sweatpants.

Sometimes she couldn't believe that this was her life.

So many years of combat and war. It was always an invasion here or a terrorist threat there. It was so much that Krystal believed that that would be her life until she died. At least she would have Fox with her. That was until a year before the Anglar Invasion.

The vixen sighed as she did not wish to be reminded of such an emotional and unpleasant period. It took it's toll on her and while her stay with StarWolf and to a lesser extent, Panther, wasn't an unpleasant one, it wasn't what she wanted. She wanted her old friends back. She wanted her old mercenary life back.

She wanted Fox back.

The hurt and anger she felt did not make it easy for her to speak to him however when they decided to join forces against the Anglars. It was a trivial thing as the biggest issue at the time was trying not to get killed. It was a terrifying and hellish battle, one where she thought that they would be doomed many times. But like always, Fox would come blazing through the skies like something out of a story book and turn the tide. He would plunge into certain death head first only to save the day while their enemies would be destroyed. Despite the cheering, despite the swarm of people from Corneria who wanted to thank their savoir, Fox only wanted to talk to her.

The sun setting on Sauria was something she would never forget.

She was still mad at him. Still hurt. But the look of regret and sadness in his face was undeniable as he spoke words that broke down the barrier she had built around her heart. He reminded her why she had fallen in love with him in the first place and the ache and longing for him was too much to bare that she jumped into his arms before he was even done apologizing. But it didn't end there.

The minute he went down on one knee it was as if time itself was slowing down.

The way he spoke, a nervous tremor the whole way and when he pulled out the ring he had bought just before their separation, she was almost blinded by it's reflection in the sun's dying rays. His emerald eyes shinning with fear as he stared up at her after just popping the question. Krystal could only stare at him with an open mouth to a point where Fox thought she was rejecting him. Her cries of jovial acceptance rang throughout Thorn Tail Hollow and the rest, as they say, is history.

So here she was.

Married to a wonderful man, blessed with amazing friends, living in a nice home and Fox's pension to take care of them well after he retires. A life she wasn't sure was possible after the destruction of Cerinia and the Anglar threat. But perhaps even more unbelievable was that in a few weeks, she would be holding her baby. Her son. The very thought of it threatened to bring tears to her eyes. She couldn't wait for him to finally be here.

The vixen walked down the hall, passing a room that was newly painted and filled with toys and a large crib. She knew that she would be spending many days in that room and it thrilled her to no end. Walking down the stairs, Krystal came into the kitchen where she fixed herself a bowl of oatmeal and a few slices of apple. She ate her meal quietly while reading the paper, skimming through the stories of the week. To her left, she noticed her cell phone which was currently lit, indicating she had a voice mail. Grabbing the device, Krystal hit play while taking another bite of oatmeal.

"Hey, Krys, we just checked into our hotel and we'll be going to bed pretty soon. I just wanted to call and tell you that I love you and I can't wait to get off MacBeth and see you and our little roommate who's renting out your womb. Bye, beautiful."

Krystal giggled at her husband's message and shook her head. She continued to eat but suddenly felt a sharp pain in her stomach. She placed her hand over it and softly sang a song in Saurian, trying to comfort the toiling baby inside her. It worked as the ache soon faded and she gently patted her belly.

Standing up, Krystal took her dishes to the sink and began to wash them. She hummed a song to herself as she did, her braided tail swinging back and forth lazily. As she scrubbed the bowl, something suddenly felt very wrong to her. The feeling made her stop what she was doing and caused the bowl and scrubber to fall out of her hands and into the sink with a loud clatter. Krystal turned around slowly, hands gripping the edge of the sink and looked over to the mirror just outside the kitchen that led into the hall. The front of her sweatpants were soaked.

Her water had just broke.

* * *

"Tall girl? Pink? Toad? Any of this sinking in?"

Fox, Falco and Peppy all rolled their eyes at Slippy who was still hell bent on trying to convince them of his 'very real' girlfriend. Falco shook his head and leaned back in his chair.

"A tall pink toad brave enough to mix spit with you is something I would have remembered, pond face." He told his friend. Slippy banged his head on the table a few times before slumping in his chair in defeat. Fox usually would have been amused by such antics but to be honest, he was downright bored.

The StarFox team sat a large table that was surrounded by high class officers and political power houses. Many other high esteemed guests were there as well, all drinking champagne and dressed to the nines. The vulpine grimaced at the horde of people that occupied the banquet hall who all wanted a piece of StarFox. Some of these very same people were the ones that tried to get the team disbanded years ago, when they were, as they put it, 'mercenary scum for hire'. Now here they were, all trying to play kiss ass now that they had saved their bacon AGAIN.

Fox's loathing for the men and women that surrounded them was put to a halt when he felt his cell phone vibrate in his back pocket. Looking at it, his eyebrows rose up in surprise to see his wife's number. Excusing himself from the table, Fox found himself a secluded area where he could have some privacy.

"Hey, gorgeous, what's up?" He answered, excited to hear her voice.

"Fox?" She replied, her voice shaking and soft. Fox felt his chest tighten at her response. Something was wrong. "Krystal? What's wrong? Are you okay? Did something happen?" He practically shouted, panic taking over his mind.

"Fox…my water broke." She said.

"What…what do mean your water just broke?" Fox managed to squeak out. "I think it means the baby is coming, love." Krystal said through clenched teeth. She suddenly let out a short gasp as a sharp pain erupted inside her.

"And he wants out NOW." She moaned. Fox had to grab the side of the wall for support his legs feeling like rubber. "I'm on my way home now, Krystal." He said, regaining his composure and practically running back to the table.

"That's great, Fox but transport back from MacBeth is over six hours. I don't think waiting around is the best idea."

"I know, I know. Just breathe like we practiced and call Katt to take you to the hospital."

"Katt's not home. She's doing training exercises on Katina with Bill." Krystal hissed as another stab of pain hit her again. Fox stopped and slapped his hand over his face. "You gotta be kidding me. What about the neighbors?"

"Not home."

Fox lowered the phone and wanted to scream. How could this be any more of a nightmare? Krystal wasn't supposed to be due for another two weeks. It just figures that when he's thousands of miles away, his kid would decide to start making his way into this world. He brought the phone back up to his ear.

"Fox?" He heard his wife choke out.

"I'm right here, Krystal. I'm not going anywhere."

"I'm scared. I need you here, now." She whispered, her voice shaky and full of fear. Fox could feel his heart being ripped in half at the sound of Krystal's desperate plea. "Don't worry, beautiful, I'll be there. But I need you to stay strong, okay? For the baby and for me. I'm going to get a hold of someone who will take you to the hospital right now but until then promise me that you'll be strong." Fox told her as he spotted his team at the table.

For a moment there was a silence that made Fox's blood run cold but finally her sweet voice graced his ears again.

"Okay…I promise." She said softly.

"That's my girl." Fox told her with a small smile. "You know, it's that smooth talking of yours that got us into this predicament in the first place." She said with a stressed chuckle.

"Yeah, yeah, everything's my fault." He joked.

"Please hurry, Fox." Krystal whispered and with that she hung up the phone. Fox shoved his cell into his pocket, blowing past on lookers who stuck out their hands to meet the mercenary leader. He came to a stop at his table where Peppy was conversing with three well-dressed gentleman. He saw that Fox had returned and gestured with his hand.

"And here he is now." Peppy said with a smile. "Fox, I'd like you to meet-"

"Krystal just went into labor." Fox said quickly, cutting him off. Peppy's smile vanished and Falco and Slippy looked up at him with wide eyed faces. "What? I thought she wasn't due for another two weeks!" Peppy gaped.

"My kid got tired of waiting. I'm on the next shuttle out of here."

"Well what the hell are we doing hanging around these assholes then? Let's go!" Falco proclaimed a little too loudly, standing up from his chair. Slippy followed suite and nodded towards Fox that he was with him. Fox looked towards Peppy who stood awkwardly by the frowning and confused bigwigs.

"Peppy?" He asked hopefully. He knew he was asking a lot from the hare. This was his career and he could seriously be jeopardizing it by leaving. But Fox needed him.

Peppy looked to his suit wearing compatriots beside him then back to his team. With a slow and gentle smile, he too nodded to the vulpine. "Let's haul our butts if we want to make that ride." He said.

Fox smiled at him and the StarFox team was off like a shot, loosening ties and cuffs as they sped down the hall. The four companions that Peppy had brought over all watched them disappear around a corner, as did most of the guests. It was silent for a moment until one of the suits, a lion, spoke up.

"Okay, I wasn't the only one who thought that somebody pissed on that toad right?"

* * *

Somewhere in the downtown area of Corneria, in a tight and somewhat dirty district, a weathered old apartment building stood tall against the cloudy sky. Up on the fifteenth floor was apartment number thirty five. Home to one of the most notorious former space pirate the Lylat System had ever seen.

Wolf O'Donnell.

With his vicious temper and ruthless aggression, he created fear in the hearts of transporters and wealthy convoys alike. He could walk into a bar and on a single night, drink ten people under the table, win six fights and take three women home to bed. He ate blaster fire for breakfast and shaved with the claw of a Titanian Razor Back. Wolf was a legend in his own right.

But it is how you say, 'that was then and this was now'.

The currently retired Wolf O'Donnell was sprawled over his messy bed, snoring loudly. One leg was propped up on his side dresser, an arm slung over his face and his other hand nestled comfortably inside the crotch of his boxers. A legend indeed.

The sudden pierce of a telephone ring caused the one eyed lupine to stir, a low growl emanating from his throat. His arm flopped over off his face and fumbled around clumsily, searching for the phone. He knocked over a lamp and a few bottles of rum and vodka in his search but eventually found the phone.

"What?" He mumbled, eye still closed.

"Wolf. It's Fox."

"What do you want, prick?" Wolf growled, unhappy his sleep was disturbed by his least favorite person in the world.

"I need your help, Wolf."

"You don't say? Well I'm pretty busy not giving a damn. Where's your little rag tag group of heroes? Why don't you call in some favors from them?"

"Damnit, Wolf, could you stop being such a dickhead for one minute and just listen!?"

"Well now you've hurt my feelings. Goodbye, jerkwad." Wolf spat back and was about to hang up when Fox's voice called out loudly from the receiver.

"Wolf please! It's Krystal! She's gone into labor!"

Wolf paused and his eye opened. He sat up groggily and brought the phone back up to his ear.

"Take her to the hospital then, dumbass. Why the hell are you talking to me for?"

"She's early. I'm stuck on MacBeth, trying to get on a shuttle back but it's a six hour trip. All of our backups aren't even around. Wolf…I need your help." Fox said the last part with a pleading and desperate tone in his voice.

Wolf dropped the phone and looked out his dirty window to the clouds outside. He looked back to the phone staring at it as if he was trying to make up his mind. While he and Fox were technically on good terms, he still wasn't fond of him. He could admit that if Fox hadn't used his leverage as a national hero, Wolf would never had been able to get the authorities off his tail and able to live somewhat of a normal life. He told them something along the lines of Wolf paying his dues and helping save the Lylat System more than once.

Hell, McCloud even helped him find a job when his flying license was revoked to avoid any relapses back into the criminal lifestyle. A license never stopped him before but Wolf was older now, not a broken down old man or anything but it was just too damn tiring to keep up with his old habits. That being said, Fox had gotten him employment at a company that used his more than formidable combat skills and all around intimidation factor as security or private bodyguard work. It kept him in shape and every now and then he got the satisfaction of breaking someone's nose from time to time.

It was a kind thing to do, especially for an enemy but as far as Wolf was concerned, it made them even. Wolf had saved his ass twice during the Aparoid and Anglar invasion so that didn't just qualify for an immediate friendship to start.

But Krystal on the other hand…

Wolf liked the girl during her brief stay with StarWolf. She had guts and could dish out the sass just as well as him. He could trust her to watch his back in a dogfight and she knew how to follow an order. It didn't hurt that she was quite the looker as well.

"Wolf? Are you still there?" Came Fox's nervous voice from the receiver. Wolf pinched the bridge of his muzzle and brought the phone back up once more.

"Alright, McCloud. I'll do this. But let's get this straight. I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing this for Krystal, got it?"

"I got it. Thank you, Wolf. I'll let her know you're coming. We'll meet you at the hospital."

"Whatever." Wolf grumbled and hung up the phone. Sighing, he got up and started to slip on some clothes.

This was not the beginning of the day he was hoping to have envisioned.

* * *

_A/N: The madness begins. We'll see you in Chapter 2!  
_


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Here's Chapter 2! These chapters won't be especially long as I wanted to focus more on comedic quality rather than length. But they will get longer in later ones._

* * *

Wolf whistled loudly as his parked his motorcycle in the McClouds driveway.

"That's a hell of a nest." He mumbled, gazing at the large house with its many windows and vast yard. Wolf swung his leg over his bike and trudged up the walkway, spitting a wad of saliva off to the side. He lazily walked up the front steps and pounded on the door.

"Hey, Blue! It's Wolf!" He called out. At first there was nothing and he went to knock again but his ears suddenly pinned back as a loud scream rose from behind the door. Instinct kicking in, Wolf stepped back and threw a kick at the door, knocking it off its hinges. He bolted into the house and ran into the living room.

"Krystal!? Where are you!?"

"What did you do to our door!?"

Wolf spun around and saw Krystal, sitting on the couch, drenched in sweat and clutching her swollen stomach. She had a look of pure shock and confusion on her face. Wolf looked back to where he had kicked the door open and then back to her.

"Oh. I…uh…"

"It was open! There was a note on the door that said so!"

"Well, sorry but I heard you screaming!" He said. "Yeah, because I'm giving birth you idiot!" She screamed at him.

"Alright! Take it easy! Let's get you to the hospital." He told her. He turned to leave but stopped when he noticed that Krystal was still on the couch. He gave her a hard look and threw up his hands in question.

"You coming or what?" He asked.

"Well it's a little hard to stand up WHEN YOU HAVE A CHILD TRYING TO TEAR ITS WAY OUT OF YOUR UTERUS! HELP ME UP YOU JERK!"

"Right! Right! Sorry!" Wolf apologized hastily and rushed over to help the vixen off the couch. With a bit of a struggle, she was back on her feet and the two carefully made their way back outside. Wolf gingerly helped her down the front steps, Krystal taking them one at a time.

"How could you let a douche like McCloud ruin that killer body you had?" Wolf wondered out loud to her. Krystal managed to snort a laugh through her constant flashes of pain.

"He has his charms, believe me." She hissed, cringing at another contraction. Wolf shook his head and led her to his bike. He plopped down on the seat and scootched forward to let her get on. Krystal just stared at him with an expression that said he was crazy.

"What?" He frowned.

"You're serious?" She asked dumbfounded.

"Uh, yeah. Unless you want to give birth in the driveway."

"I am NOT getting on that thing when my baby is trying to come into this world!" She yelled at him. Wolf rolled his eye and got off the motorcycle. "Well then what do you suggest, Princess?"

He suddenly had a pair of keys thrown into his face and Krystal waddled over to a dark red minivan that was parked a little further up the road, muttering something about how Wolf O'Donnell would be the only person to ever consider taking a pregnant woman on a motorcycle. Wolf swallowed a lump in his throat as he laid eyes on the van and slowly followed her. She leaned against the van breathing slowly and heavily. She looked back noticing that Wolf was fumbling with the keys in his hands.

"What are you waiting for!? Open the damn thing!" She roared. Wolf glared at her, mimicking the vixen under his breath and stuck the key into the lock and unlocked it. Krystal opened the sliding door and Wolf helped her into the back seat. She lay down on the back seat, crying out in pain once more. Wolf climbed into the front seat but made no move to start the vehicle. In fact, he just sat there, staring blankly at the controls in front of him.

"What the hell, Wolf!? Are you trying to put me through as much hell as I can bear on purpose!?" Krystal screamed at him.

"No damnit! I just…" Wolf began but trailed off.

"Just what!?"

"I can't drive!" He shouted back, turning to face her. Krystal narrowed her eyes at him and shook her head. "What are you talking about!? Of course you can! How else did you get here!?"

"That's a motorcycle! There's a friggin difference! I've never driven anything with more than two wheels!"

Krystal could do little but moan loudly in despair. How could today of all days be going like this? With a heavy effort, she propped herself up and slung one arm over the side of the front seat.

"Okay, okay, it's easy enough. Stick the key in ignition." She explained, pointing to the slot near the steering wheel. Wolf stuck it in and turned the key, the car suddenly coming to life.

"Now put it into drive."

Wolf pushed down on a button that was near the front of the car's stereo system. He sat there and waited but nothing seemed to happen. He looked at Krystal who was clenching her teeth so hard that he swore they were going to break. She took a few deep breaths and stared at him with a hard and stern gaze.

"That's the cigarette lighter…DOES IT LOOK LIKE I NEED A SMOKE!?"

"Jesus, I'm sorry! How the hell am I supposed to know what's what in this stupid thing!?"

"The stick beside the wheel! Press down on that until you see a big D!"

"Why didn't you say that in the first place!? If we had taken my bike, we would be half way there by now!"

"WOLF." Krystal growled with ferocity, grabbing him by the collar of his leather jacket and pulling him close so that they were nose to nose. Her usually sweet and kind face was twisted into one of pain and pure ire. Her lips were pulled back in a nasty snarl, exposing her sharp canines. Wolf had always prided himself on not being afraid of anything…until now.

"I am giving birth here, Wolf. Do you have ANY idea on how painful this is?" She asked with malice in her voice. Wolf could only shake his head, his one eye wide as a saucer.

"It's like a watermelon trying to burst out through YOUR FACE! Now you are going to drive this thing. I don't care if you have to destroy it in the process of getting there! Just put your foot on the peddle and GO!"

With that she pushed him back into the seat and he quickly put it in drive. Before stepping on the accelerator, he turned back to ask a question but was cut off by the blue vixen's angry threat.

"WOLF, I SWEAR TO THE KRAZOA, I WILL EAT YOUR FACE!"

Wolf slammed his foot on the accelerator and the van lurched forward, ripping its way out of the driveway. It knocked over the garbage cans near the end and bounced off the curb and onto the street. Wolf twisted the wheel to get the van straight, Krystal holding on for dear life in the back.

"Wolf stop!" She screamed. The van came to a screeching halt, skid marks stretching across the street. "Now what!?" He replied, twisting his head around to face her.

"You can't just rip through the neighborhood! You'll kill us or worse, someone else!"

"But you said-"

"Never mind what I said! Just…just keep going fast but hit the brake every so often, okay!?"

Wolf threw his hands up in frustration and shook his head. "Why can't she just go back to being moody and quiet when McCloud dumped her?" He muttered to himself as he pushed down on the accelerator once more.

The vehicle lurched forward again and they sped down the street for a short distance only for it to come to another screeching halt. This trend continued all the way through the neighborhood block. Krystal held on tight in the back, resisting the urge to throw up and cringing in pain.

"_Please, Fox…hurry."_

* * *

"What do you mean full!?"

The female macaw behind the front desk swallowed a nervous lump in her throat as the irate leader of StarFox slammed his hands down on the surface. She put her hands out in front of her apologetically.

"I'm sorry Mr. McCloud but the flight is completely booked. I can get you on the next one though."

"Which is?"

"Tomorrow morning."

Fox looked at the avian, his left eye twitching. Taking a few deep breaths, he folded his hands together and leaned forward, putting on a very forced smile.

"Listen, Miss?"

"Rebecca."

"Rebecca. My wife is in labor as we speak. I need to get back to Corneria NOW. Not tomorrow, not in two days, RIGHT NOW." Fox explained through clenched teeth.

"I'm sorry but there's nothing I can do Mr. McCloud. I want to help you, I really do but it's out of my power." The clerk told him, her eyes reflecting sympathy for the pilot. Fox looked as if he was about to explode but instead let out a sad sigh and walked away from the front desk. He pushed past other passengers who were making their way around the terminal and found his team sitting in the food court. Falco looked up from his sandwich and wiped his beak.

"Well?" He asked, a piece of tomato falling from the corner of mouth. Fox just shook his head and rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"What? Did you tell them about Krystal?" Peppy asked. Fox responded by giving the old hare a very irritated and aggravated look. "Right. Dumb question." Peppy mumbled, suddenly interested in his shoes.

"Don't they know who we are!? They should be giving us free flights to the next galaxy for all we've done for them!" Slippy cried, banging his fist on the table.

"Tell them Peppy is dying. He's old. Maybe that'll work." Falco suggested, taking the finishing bite of his sandwich. Peppy shot him a dirty look but focused back on Fox.

"What are we going to do, Peppy?" The vulpine asked quietly, his ears drooping as he dropped down in his seat. Peppy sighed, wanting to say something but he just didn't have an answer. He could call in a shuttle from Corneria but it would be pointless. It would take the same amount of time for the ship to get here as it would to get back to Corneria. Fox didn't have twelve hours to wait.

"This is all my fault." Fox muttered to himself, shaking his head.

"How could this be in any way your fault?" Peppy asked him in surprise. Fox leaned his head in his hands, letting out a breath of frustration and apparent guilt.

"I should have taken an Arwing. Hell, I shouldn't have even left her. Two weeks? What in the world was I thinking?"

Peppy walked over and put a reassuring hand on the young fox's shoulder. "You can't beat yourself up like that, Fox. You had no idea that this was going to happen."

"Yeah, Fox," Slippy chimed in. "It's nobody's fault. I remember this one time Amanda had this-"

"Slippy please, no 'Amanda' nonsense right now okay?" Peppy said, cutting him off. The green skinned mechanic slapped his hands over his face and swore up a storm under his breath.

"You should be proud, Fox. Your kid's turning out to be as thick headed and impulsive as you." Falco jested, giving his friend a light punch in the arm. Fox looked at him tiredly but managed an appreciative smile.

"Thanks guys but words don't get me to Corneria. I'm going to miss the birth of my son. Unless…" Fox paused as he watched three pilots and a stewardess walk by.

"Unless we do something drastic."

The others followed his gaze to the group. The pilots and stewardess were pointing to the lists of flights and it seemed that they were focused on the one that's destination was listed as "Corneria". They conversed some more then all headed to a staff washroom. The team then all met each others own looks.

"Are we actually going to do this?" Falco asked out loud, the intent very clear in everyone's mind.

* * *

"Wow, we're actually doing this." Falco said to himself as he adjusted his pilot cap.

"I don't like it either but desperate times, right?" Fox said as he fixed a flight badge to his tie. Peppy looked out the bathroom door to make sure no one was coming then came back to the other two.

"Coast is clear so far. I can't say I approve of this, Fox. This isn't exactly the sort of thing we want showing up on the front page news. I know I certainly don't need that sort of publicity."

"I know, I know but what would you have me do, Peppy? Besides, it's nothing we haven't done before. Remember that base of Fichan during the Andross days?" Fox replied.

"Heh. Good times." Falco smiled, admiring his new look in the mirror.

Fox straightened his pilot's jacket and sighed. This was the second time today he had to put on a suit. He walked over the farthest stall of the washroom and opened the door. The three pilots they had seen earlier were currently on the floor, feet and wrists bound, stripped down to their underwear, mouths gagged and blindfolds wrapped tightly around their eyes. Fox gave them and apologetic look, guilt starting to build up inside. But with what was a stake, he didn't have time to feel guilty.

"Again, I'm really sorry about this, guys. We're not bad people, far from it. But you have no idea how important this is to me. I promise I will make this up to you all later."

Fox shut the stall door despite the muffled complaints and looked over to Peppy and Falco who were putting the finishing touches on their "borrowed" uniforms. Falco picked what was left of his sandwich from his teeth and adjusted his belt.

"What the hell is taking Slippy so long?" He complained. As if on cue, the door opened up and in walked Slippy or at least a woman who looked a lot like Slippy. He was wearing the stewardess' outfit and he tugged on the tight skirt with an annoyed face.

"Sorry, guys. She bit me a few times and these high heels are killing me. I can only walk for so long."

"The look is definitely you, Slip." Falco jested, trying to hold back laughter. Slippy responded by sticking his tongue out and blowing a raspberry. He then looked at Fox with a pleading and sorrowful look.

"Why did I have to be the woman?" He whined.

"Because since Krystal isn't here, you're the next one on the team with the best tits." Falco answered, grabbing a mound of flesh on the amphibian's flabby chest.

"Hey! Watch it, perv!" Slippy cried angrily, slapping his hand away. Peppy looked back out the door and spoke over the bickering. "It looks like they're boarding. If we want to pull this off, we got to do it now."

Fox took a deep breath and looked to his crew. "This is it then. If you guys don't want to be a part of this, this is your last chance to back out. I won't blame you if you do." He said.

"Are you kidding? I live for this shit!" Falco beamed, giving him a thumbs up.

"I feel like a fool but I'm with you always, Fox!" Slippy croaked.

"It's stuff like this that's going to give me a heart attack but I wouldn't have it any other way. Let's go." Peppy said with a gentle smile.

Fox smiled at his companions and wing mates, touched to the core by their dedication and friendship. He buttoned up his jacket and straightened himself.

"Well then, we got a ship to fly." He said, walking out of the bathroom. "I call flying!" Falco shouted out.

"Nuts to that. We want a smooth and inconspicuous flight. Not you doing loopy dee loops and nose dives." Peppy scolded, following Fox. Slippy chuckled at Falco's rejection and made to follow the old rabbit but was stopped by the falcon. He looked at Slippy's uniform and noticed it wasn't the same one that the stewardess had been wearing.

"Did you change into a different dress?" He asked with a raised brow.

"She had an extra. This one's prettier."

_*snort*_

"Shut up, Falco!"

* * *

_A/N: Wolf and Krystal look like they're in for a long day it seems. Slippy's might be even longer. Cya in chapter 3! _


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Chapter 3 right here. Thanks for the reviews everyone, they're awesome._

* * *

"Same to you asshole!"

Krystal let out a ragged sigh of frustration and pain as Wolf leaned out of the window to insult passing by vehicles all honking at the van that was awkwardly making its way through the busy streets. She tried to focus on her breathing and find some way to ease the pain with meditation but would always be interrupted by a blaring horn, a sudden jerking stop or Wolf himself. The contractions were getting worse and she could feel drop after drop of sweat slide off the side of her muzzle.

The van came to a stop at an intersection, the traffic light producing a halting red color. Wolf turned to her and gave somewhat of a sly grin.

"I'm getting the hang of this, huh, Blue?"

Her response was that of an icy glare and words spoken through pain clenched teeth. "I'm so glad you're having fun. Now if only you could faster than twenty five miles per hour!"

"Hey! Do you want to get there fast or get there alive!?"

"Why can't it be both!?"

"Well I told you we should have taken my bike!" Wolf argued, getting frustrated with the vixen. He was helping, wasn't he? Then why was she constantly giving him shit? It's not like he HAD to do this. She wasn't his wife.

Krystal screamed out of agony and glared menacingly at the lupine, chewing her bottom lip.

"ONLY A PIG HEADED IDIOT WOULD SUGGEST SUCH A MORONIC IDEA! I'M SPLITTING IN TWO HERE SO QUIT ARGUING WITH ME AND HURRY THE HELL UP!" She screamed at him.

"Alright! Alright! Jesus!" Wolf hollered back, his hands up in the air as if to push away her rage. He turned back around and settled into his seat before muttering, "Shit, I thought fat people were supposed to be jolly."

Unfortunately for the space pirate, Krystal's astute hearing picked up on his words and before he could even blink, she gripped the back of his head and repeatedly slammed it into the steering wheel. Loud honks blared out with every slam of his head. A car with a family of coyotes that was in the lane next to them all stared in concern at the van and the wolf whose head was smashing into the wheel over and over again.

Krystal slammed him one more time before letting go, Wolf falling back against his seat in a daze.

"If you're done with the jokes Mr. Comedian, the light is green so get MOVING." She hissed, clutching her stomach as another intense shot of pain hit her. Wolf merely gargled something incoherent, his tongue hanging limply out of the side of his mouth and drove forward.

Krystal's thrashing seemed to have done some good as she noticed that they were moving much faster than before but still not as fast as she wanted. She closed her eye and stifled back tears that were threatening to spill forth. This was not how she imagined what was supposed to be one of the greatest days of her life. Fox was supposed to be by her side, stroking her hair and telling her everything would be okay. She was supposed to be excited about bringing her son into the world, not scared out of her mind.

What if she couldn't do this? What if something happens to her? Or the baby?

Krystal shook her head in defiance of such a dreadful and nightmarish thought. She had to stay strong like Fox said.

A sudden bump in the road shifted her thoughts to her current companion. She watched as Wolf struggled to merge into the next lane without causing an accident or a full out horn war. She felt a surge of guilt at her current treatment to the lupine. The mere fact that he was even here was nothing short of amazing. When Fox called her to tell her who was coming to get her, she though it was some poor attempt at a joke. While not at each others throats anymore, Wolf and her husband were still not exactly on the best of terms. Why should he care about their problems? The Cerinian was none of his concern or responsibility yet here he was, driving her to the hospital.

Perhaps she was being too hard on him but Wolf didn't make it easy. He was just the same when she was with StarWolf. Arrogant, strict, sarcastic, rude and just as thick headed as Falco and on occasion, Fox. She learned a lot of things about the one eyed pirate, things that would make you want to throttle him.

But he wasn't a bad man. A dumb and crude one sometimes but not a bad one.

"Wolf." She breathed, straining to sit up. The lupine flinched and covered his head with one hand. "I'm going faster aren't I!?" He panicked.

"Wolf…I'm sorry." She whispered through the pain. He briefly looked back at her but kept his eye on the road. "Oh…uh…it's no biggie." He said, surprised by her change in demeanor.

"Yes it is…this baby…means everything to me…and Fox." Krystal told him, a little louder this time.

"Yeah, well…just...keep breathing or whatever the hell they teach you in prego class." Wolf mumbled.

"I'll keep that in mind...and thank you Wolf." Krystal said with a weary smile. Wolf did not reply but simply kept his eye on the road.

_"Why are all the hot ones always crazy?"_ He thought as he turned down another street. For a few more blocks they drove, the traffic surprisingly getting worse. Wolf felt himself getting tenser with every minute that passed by, casting glances at the vixen in the back. He was no expert at child labor but it was clear to him that she was getting worse which made him all the more tense. Wolf turned right through an alley way in order to cut through this busy section of the city, a route he had taken many times before.

He couldn't but help think about the oddness of the whole situation.

Years ago, Wolf would have seen this as an advantage to get the better of Fox. What better ace up his sleeve than the mercenary's pregnant lover at his mercy? It was a sure fire plan on paper but reality has a funny way of changing things around. Seeing how bad of a state Krystal was in now, he wasn't so sure he could carry out something like that even in his prime. Wolf was an asshole, he could admit that. Hell, he was proud of it most of the time.

But he wasn't a monster.

A woman in pain was not something he enjoyed to see nor was it something he could enjoy causing. And the fact that he had a soft spot for the girl in the back seat didn't help either. It brought out something in him he didn't like exposing to the world. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel and made another clumsy turn out of the alley. Wolf let out a breath of relief when he noticed that there was barely any traffic and picked up on his speed.

"We'll be there in no time, Blue." He told her but without warning had to slam on the brakes, causing Krystal to yelp.

"Fuck." Wolf cursed to himself as he stared forward out the windshield. Krystal struggled her way up to sitting and looked out the window to see the cause of their lack of progress.

Just a few feet away from them was a rather large construction crew surrounding the road. Heavy tools and digging equipment lay scattered everywhere. Bright orange cones were lined up to prevent anyone from crossing and neon reflecting signs that read,

ROAD CLOSURE. 7AM - 12PM

Wolf frowned and looked at his watch. It was already past two. He looked back up and saw that most of the crew were sitting around, conversing or eating.

"Wolf?" Krystal asked worriedly.

"Don't worry. I'll get us moving." He said and unbuckled himself and stepped out of the van.

He jogged over to the lounging crew of workers who all laughed at some joke that a rottweiler had made and cleared his throat. They all looked at him in surprise as he gave a nonchalant wave of his hand.

"Hey guys, not to sound like a dick or anything but I need to get to the hospital in a hurry so I would appreciate it if you could open the road NOW."

The crew all looked to a portly looking elk who was smoking a cigarette, hands in the pockets of his bright orange safety vest. Wolf followed their gaze to him and met his hard stare, guessing that he was the foreman.

"I guess I talk to you about that?" Wolf sighed.

"Road will open in an hour. We're on break." Was all the elk said, blowing a puff of smoke into the cool March air. "The road's closed till noon. It's past two. Why the hell would you be on break if the shift was over?" Wolf asked, trying to hide the growl in his voice.

"Sometimes there's delays, pal. Take 3rd Ave if you're in such a hurry."

"3rd Ave is insane. I don't have that kind of time. I got a pregnant girl that I need to get to the hospital. She's in labor right now."

The rottweiler who had told the joke from before, heard this and his brow rose up in concern. "Really?" He asked. The lupine nodded firmly.

"Shit, we could clear stuff for you in a minute and-"

"Owen." The elk aggressively interrupted, causing the canine to look at his boss. "Your job isn't to talk now is it?"

"But-"

"Do you want to lose your job?"

The rottweiler opened his mouth to say something but quickly closed it as he shook his head embarrassed. Wolf sneered at the elk who blew another puff of smoke, this time closer to him.

"Look bud," He started. "This is my crew. They do what I tell em to do. Some asswipe who comes off the streets doesn't start ordering them, much less me around. I got bills to pay so if I feel the need to push for some extra 'overtime' to cheat the system, then so be it."

"What the fuck is wrong with you? Did you not just hear me? I have a woman who's in labor back there!" Wolf hissed. The elk walked up to him and took a long drag of his cigarette before tossing the butt away. He kept a solid stare with the one eyed wolf for a long time before blowing a large cloud of smoke into his face.

"Tell the bitch to cross her legs and hold it for an hour." He said and sat down on a nearby crate, pulling out another cigarette from his vest pocket.

Wolf stood still, the haze of smoke lingering around his head and the elk's words sinking into his brain. His good eye twitched and his knuckles cracked as he tightened them into fists of pure malice and rage. He relaxed however and smiled down at the elk.

"I guess that's how it is now isn't it?" He said in an oddly friendly matter. Wolf looked down and noticed a nail gun resting just to the side of the crate. He reached for it while exclaiming, "Say, is this the new deluxe model or the 1750?"

Before the elk had time to even look at what the former pilot was talking about, he was grabbed by the antlers and painfully had his head slammed down against the crate. That was of little concern as he suddenly heard the all too familiar sound of air being compressed and an unimaginable pain coursing from his left ear, causing him to scream out.

Wolf threw a challenging glare at the rest of the crew who backed away in shock at seeing their foreman have his ear nailed to a wooden crate by an irate looking canine. He turned back to the screaming elk and roughly pulled on his antlers causing even louder screams.

"Listen to me you sack of shit, you either get this road open now or I put the next one right between your balls, got it?"

He was answered by another wail of agony.

"I'll take that as a yes." Wolf growled, looking back to the crew. They all dropped whatever was in their hands and bolted around to clear up the road. Wolf dropped the nail gun and gave one last glare at the whimpering elk and walked back to van.

He hopped in and Krystal asked from lying from her back, "What happened? I heard screaming."

"I shot a guy with a nail gun."

"What!?"

"Nah, I'm just kidding. We talked and all had a good laugh about the weather. They're opening the road for us now."

"Oh. Good."

Wolf watched as they cleaned up the last of the equipment, the elk fiddling with a hammer to pull out the nail in his ear. After the last few cones had been removed, he pulled forward. The rottweiler waved him over, jogging up to the van. Wolf stopped and rolled down the window.

"If you're looking to get the hospital, I'd keep going up this road here and turn off into the freeway. You'll get there a hell of a lot faster." The fellow canine told him.

"Thanks junior. I'm glad one of you isn't as stupid as you look."

The rotti laughed and waved him off, the van picking up speed as it traveled further and further down the road. He heard Krystal cry out in pain like she had hundreds of times since they started this journey and he pressed down harder on the gas.

They were running out of time.

* * *

_A/N: Short chapter but things are going to start getting even more insane so look out for chapter 4!_


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: The horror...the horror..._

* * *

Falco stretched his arms behind his back and but his feet up on the cockpits control panel, letting out a bored sigh.

"This is so lame." He complained.

Fox shook his head as he kept his hands on the controls, keeping the cruiser they were currently flying at a level and steady pace. He frowned at the avian's posture and reached out with one hand and slapped at his outstretched feet.

"Stop whining. And keep your feet off the controls, genius. I don't need us plummeting into an asteroid because you want to be lazy." He scolded. Falco let his feet drop back down and he rolled his eyes.

"Pfft, this thing practically flies itself. Seriously, it doesn't even have a firing system."

"Maybe that's because it's a commercial cruiser for public transportation. You don't see many of these in dog fights do you?" Fox asked sarcastically. He squeezed the steering controls tighter and his eyes shifted from star to star that covered the endless universe in front of them. Falco watched him and rubbed the back of his neck tiredly.

"You got to relax, Fox. Just two more hours and we'll be there. I'm sure she's fine." He said, knowing exactly what was going on in the vulpine's head. Fox shot him and unsure look but did nod his head. "I know. I just…what if something happens?" He asked, turning to meet his friend's gaze.

"You can't think like that, Fox. She's with Wolf, as weird as that is, she'll be fine. The less you think about it, the quicker we'll arrive to Corneria." Falco told him as he fiddled with a bag of peanuts. Fox sighed and turned his vision back to the stars and nodded again.

"You're right. I just…need to not think about it." He agreed though he knew there was nothing that could make him stop thinking about it.

The cockpit door then opened and Slippy walked in grumbling while fixing his dress. Falco looked up and wrinkled his brow at the amphibian. "What are you so mad about?" He asked.

"I'll never understand how they do it!" Slippy cried in frustration. "I got kids throwing food at me, someone always wants a blanket or a pillow, I've seen more puke than I've ever seen before and some horny business men in first class keep pinching my ass! Feels like a pin cushion! I seriously have so much more respect for flight attendants."

"And all it took was a few cases of sexual harassment. Good for you, Slip." Falco ribbed, popping a peanut into his mouth.

"Crack all the jokes you want. I'm at least doing something. Me and Peppy have been busting our butts this entire flight and we're not even getting paid!" Slippy croaked.

"Say, where is Peppy? I haven't seen him for the last few hours." Fox spoke up, a frown gracing his muzzle. Slippy wiped off some excess vomit that was clinging to his skirt and jerked a thumb behind him. "Last I saw him, he was hanging around the liquor cart."

The two pilots then looked at each other once the sentence sunk in and Fox whipped his head over to Slippy, pointing a stern finger at him.

"Slippy, get your ass back there and check on him!"

Slippy was out the door before he even finished and Fox gripped the bridge of his muzzle in disbelief. "Oh God, don't let this be happening…"

"What? What's the big deal?" Falco asked. "So the old man has a few drinks on a long boring flight. If I knew there was booze on this thing I would have joined him."

"Falco," Fox started, his voice dripping with worry and grimness. "Do you remember last year's Christmas party?"

"Yeah. And?"

"Do you also remember when Peppy found that bottle of chocolate mint rum?"

"Yeah, what does…" Falco began but a cold and unnerving realization suddenly washed over his face and he found himself bolting out of his seat and through the aisles to find Slippy and the hare. He pushed himself past passengers who poked at the service button or asked him if there was more soda and headed to the back of the cruiser. He burst through the curtain and was immediately met with a hard body crashing into him. He let out a wheeze and pushed off Slippy who scrambled to his feet.

"Falco! Get out of here! We-"

Slippy didn't finish as his legs were pulled out from under him and dragged backwards. Falco sat up and shook the daze from his head only to have his eyes nearly pop out of their sockets at the sight in front of him.

Peppy was currently dropping his elbow onto Slippy's chest, who let out a cry of discomfort. The old hare stood up, revealing that he was no longer wearing a shirt or pants, his white underwear as well as his fur stained with alcohol. At least Falco hoped that's what the stains were. Peppy's tie was wrapped around his head like a bandana and he clumsily stumbled over to Falco when he saw him.

"Another opponent!" Peppy slurred, grabbing the falcon by the shoulders.

"No, Peppy! It's me! Falco!"

"BEHOLD THE POWER OF EL PEPPY!"

Falco found himself being lifted up over the rabbit's head and slammed down hard on the floor. The air flew out of his lungs with a loud rush and he coughed for air. Peppy proceeded to do a montage of various muscle poses before stumbling towards the curtain that led to the cabin. His advancement was stopped short by Slippy who jumped on his back, wrapping his chubby arms around the former pilot's neck.

"Relax, Peppy! For the love of God, please relax!" He cried. Peppy spun around in a circle in an attempt to throw him off but the toad held on tight.

"You are a cunning one! But El Peppy always prevails!"

Peppy jumped up and threw his feet out, the momentum causing him to become horizontal. He crashed to the ground on top of Slippy who gasped in pain. Slippy immediately let go of him and rolled around in anguish, his chest feeling like someone had just dropped an anvil on it.

"Sneaky frog man you are! But El Peppy is prepared for you!" Peppy hollered, swaying a bit. As he gloated to the grimacing Slippy, Falco had recovered from his own encounter with the hare and was now sneaking up behind him.

_*THUD*_

Peppy suddenly went cross-eyed as the heavy sound rang through his ears. He dropped to his knees and then fell face first into the floor beside Slippy. Slippy looked to his prone form before casting his shocked gaze upwards to see Falco, holding a large bottle of rum and his own shocked expression.

"Falco! What did you do that for!?" Slippy screamed at him. "We were supposed to calm him down, not kill him!"

"This things made of glass! It should have broken!" Falco defended.

"This isn't the movies, bird brain!"

"Well...is he breathing?" Falco asked, a sudden worry now welling up inside him. Slippy climbed to his feet and shook off the ache in his sternum before bending down to listen for the old man's heart beat. Falco too leaned over to get a look. Slippy stayed where he was for a moment before looking back to Falco with a horrified visage.

"Falco," He swallowed. "I don't-"

Slipp didn't get to finish his sentence as Peppy's hands shot up, seizing both toad and avian by the throat. His closed eyes, popped open with a crazed glint and he pulled them both towards his face.

"El Peppy lives!"

With a heavy grunt, Peppy threw both his legs up in a kick and due to the unfortunate positioning of the two pilots, his feet ended up planting themselves firmly between Falco and Slippy's legs. Both toad and falcon let out a high pitched shriek as they fell to the side, clutching at their damaged goods.

"They're inside...they're inside me..." Falco whispered in pain.

"My voice is high enough as it is!" Slippy cried in agony, his voice sounding like he inhaled a balloon full of helium. Peppy climbed to his feet and raised his arms up in the air in triumph.

"El Peppy is winner _numero uno_!"

He then vomited and passed out.

Back in the cockpit, Fox shook his head at the sounds he could hear from all the way in the back of the cruiser. As if things weren't crazy enough. Sighing, he pressed the intercom and spoke into the microphone.

"Ladies and gentleman, this is your captain speaking. We apologize for the commotion in the back. A Titanian Sand Snake has got loose and the crew is taking care of it. We'll be docking on Corneria in about hour so sit tight."

Fox frowned as he hung up the speaker. If only he could follow his own advice. He took a deep breath and tried to relax himself.

_"Just one more hour, Krystal. Be strong. You can do it."_

* * *

Wolf could not believe it.

With all the crap he had been through today and the ever growing headache, things were finally going their way. As soon as they had turned onto the freeway, Wolf no longer needed to use the brake and the van they were traveling in was flying down the empty lanes. What was more unbelievable was that he hadn't seen a single car the entire time. It was odd but Wolf had no time to think about oddities. He was fine accepting that the universe was finally cutting him some slack.

A short, pain filled cry from the back cause him to turn around for the hundredth time that day to see Krystal writhing in agony, her face completely drenched and her fingers nearly ripping out the fabric on the seat. Wolf picked up the speed and in the distance he could see a sign posted on the far side of the freeway.

Corneria General Hospital

5 Miles

"You see that, Blue?" Wolf asked her. "We'll be there in no time and you can pop that kid out no problem."

"You…don't have a lot of knowledge…on child birth, do you?" Krystal muttered painfully through clenched teeth. Wolf either didn't hear her or ignored her but the van started to move even faster. Krystal was thankful for that. The contractions were at their most painful and were becoming unbearable. She had never encountered this type of physical pain before and it was pushing her to her limits. But they were almost there. Just a little while longer. She can do this. She can do this.

Her concentration was abruptly cut short as the van skidded to a halt, the tires screeching in protest against the asphalt. Krystal yelled in surprise and held on to the seat for dear life. When the van finally came to a complete stop, she was about to yell at Wolf but his own voice drowned out her tired and weak one.

"Son of a _bitch_!"

Krystal managed to pull herself up from the awkward laying position she was in, albeit painfully, and looked over to see Wolf staring menacingly out the windshield. He growled and slammed his fists on the steering wheel. Krystal followed his malicious stare and her racing heart came to a complete stop.

In the middle of the freeway was an overturned semi-trailer. Its large cargo hull had spilt over and was blocking all four lanes of traffic. A series of traffic cones and flashing hazard lights were placed all around it. The site looked completely barren but it was obvious that a collision crew had already been there. Another one was probably on the way to fix this mess.

"Of course, of fucking course!" Wolf screamed in rage. It figured he supposed. There was no way that he should have expected to have any sort of luck with the way things were going today. There was an uncomfortable silence that filled the vehicle. The sound or rain starting to splash down onto the roof and windshield was the only sound that accompanied the two canines. Wolf rubbed the bridge of his muzzle before letting out a frustrated breath.

"Okay. Okay. We're just going slam this thing into reverse and find an exit. We'll get there, Krystal...Krystal?"

The lupine turned around fully when he did not receive a reply. He saw Krystal staring down at the floor, hands on her stomach. Wolf's brow furrowed and he suddenly became worried.

"Krystal?" He asked again, softer.

The sapphire fox looked up at him, tears streaming from her eyes like rivers of tiny diamonds. Her bottom lip trembled and she shook her head, bangs flowing from side to side.

"I can't do this, Wolf." She whispered.

Krystal was exhausted, mentally and physically. The pain was unbearable and it felt like she was being split in two. It was all so wrong. The situation, Fox's absence, her fear for not only herself but her child. Things were not supposed to happen this way.

Her tears went from ones of fear to those of shame. Shame that she couldn't stay strong like Fox had pleaded to her. An unnerving and heavy guilt that slammed into her upon imagining the faces of her husband and unborn child. The latter hurt her most of all. What kind of mother is she? To give up so easily when he so desperately wanted to live? It only made the tears fall harder.

"Bullshit you can't."

Wolf's voice brought her back to reality. She looked to see him getting out of the driver's seat and he thrust open the side door. He glared at her with ferocity that she only ever saw him wear when in a fight.

"We didn't put up with a whole day full of shit so you can just quit." He told her sternly.

"Wolf, I can't-"

"No!" Wolf yelled, cutting her off. "You're stronger than this, Krystal! You know you are! This is your kid, Blue! Do it for him! Do it for McCloud! Yeah, I think the guy's a dickhead but he's a good man and any kid that has him as a dad is going to grow up alright! But most importantly, Krystal, do it for yourself!"

Krystal stared open mouthed at the pirate and his outburst. Wolf didn't let up there however.

"You're a hell of a woman and you're going to be a hell of a mother! With you and Fox combined, this kid is going to have talent and good looks coming out of his ass! You can't give up on him!"

Krystal continued to stare at him with a soft and amazed expression, tears still running down her cheeks. Wolf leaned into the van, one arm still on the door, the other on the seat to support his weight. There was something in his voice that she rarely heard from him during her time with StarWolf.

Compassion.

"You're going to make it, Blue." He informed her. "You're going to make it because you're strong. Because good things can still happen to good people. And because you got one thing that no one else has got."

"What?" She asked, her voice a hoarse whisper.

"You got Wolf O'Donnell and I'll be damned if I let some kid whose balls haven't even developed yet get the best of me."

Krystal felt herself laugh at that despite the pain. She sniffed back a few tears and smiled at him. "You certainly have a way with words, O'Donnell."

"It's a friggin gift. Now get up. We're getting to that hospital." He ordered, helping her out of the van as carefully as he could. Wolf knew he probably shouldn't move her but stay or go, it was a risk either way.

"But how?" She hissed through a stab of discomfort. Before she knew it, Krystal felt herself being lifted up, bridal style and carried down the road.

"Wolf you can't carry me all the way there." She told him. Wolf merely shook his head. "Well we don't have many options. Driving back would take even longer. Besides, five miles is a piece of cake. I ain't planning on quitting. What about you?" He asked, looking her straight in the eyes.

Krystal gazed back into his one eye, his words echoing in her head. They filled her with comfort and a sense of hope. They instilled in her the strength that she didn't think she possessed. A new type of shame blushed across her face, this one upon thinking that she would give up so easily. Wolf was right. She was stronger than this. Krystal had overcome so much in her life that there was no way she would give up now that it was truly just beginning.

The vixen smiled weakly at Wolf and wrapped her arms around his neck to better support herself.

"Ready when you are." She said hoarsely.

"That's the little ass kicker I remember. Let's do this." Wolf smirked and began to jog down the barren freeway. Krystal moaned with every step, the jostling sensation making things even more painful. Wolf was as careful as he could be, maneuvering around the overturned semi, making sure he kept Krystal balanced.

Wolf could feel himself starting to sweat already as they got around it and he continued down the road. The rain coming down on him was refreshing but cold and it only caused his throat to burn when he inhaled the air.

"Christ, you're heavy." He panted.

"You're not very successful when talking to women are you?" Krystal asked, peering at him in irritation now. The lupine shook his head. "Never had to do much of that. My name did all the talking for me."

"How could I forget?" Krystal muttered with a shake of her head, the memories from visiting a bar on Macbeth during her StarWolf days replaying in her mind.

"Well if scoring loose and morally deprived bar skanks is as easy as you make it seem then this should be a cake walk, right?" She asked, a light humor evident in her voice.

"Yeah...right." Wolf said, trying to ignore the faint ache in his arms.

He pressed on, his face stone set as much as his determination. Five miles. That's all he had to do. He had probably run more than that when under fire on Fichina that one time. Only back then, he didn't have a pregnant woman in his arms.

_"Doesn't matter."_ He thought. _"It's just five lousy miles. Just five..."_

It would be the longest five miles of his life.

* * *

_A/N: What the hell, Peppy? Crazy old man. The next chapter is the last and it will be quite longer so we'll see you then! Thanks for reading everyone!_


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